BACKGROUND: The importance of hope is evident in clinical oncological care. Hope is associated with psychological and also physical functioning. However, there is still a dearth of empirical research on hope as a multidimensional concept. The Herth Hope Index is a reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of hope and is available in many languages. Until now no authorized German translation has been published and validated. METHODS: After translation, the questionnaire was completed by 192 patients with different tumor entities in radiation therapy...

Wegener's granulomatosis is a rare disease (10 per 1 000 000 new cases per year), etiologically connected with necrotizing vasculitis of small to medium-size vessels. The disease occurs predominantly in the upper respiratory tract, lungs and kidneys, but any organ may be affected during the course of the illness. It may be difficult to diagnose, especially when c-ACNA antibodies (serologic symptom of Wegener's granulomatosis) are undetectable and chest X-ray is normal. Early diagnosis is crucial for treatment results...

The reversed halo sign is characterised by a central ground-glass opacity surrounded by denser air-space consolidation in the shape of a crescent or a ring. It was first described on high-resolution CT as being specific for cryptogenic organising pneumonia. Since then, the reversed halo sign has been reported in association with a wide range of pulmonary diseases, including invasive pulmonary fungal infections, paracoccidioidomycosis, pneumocystis pneumonia, tuberculosis, community-acquired pneumonia, lymphomatoid granulomatosis, Wegener granulomatosis, lipoid pneumonia and sarcoidosis...

High survival rates after childhood cancer raise attention to possible psychosocial late effects. We focus on predictors of psychosocial outcomes based on diagnosis, treatment, demography, somatic disease, and methodological problems. Overall, survivors evaluate their health-related quality of life to be normal or even better than controls, although virtually all diagnostic subgroups report psychosocial impairment. Central nervous system tumor survivors have significant psychosocial problems. Negative outcomes were associated with cranial radiation therapy, female gender, and young age at diagnosis...

PURPOSE: The purpose of simultaneous chemoradiotherapy is to increase local tumor control and to decrease the incidence of distant metastases. Platinum-based chemotherapy regimens are widely accepted as standard treatment in advanced head and neck cancer. Due to their remarkable activity as well as radiosensitizing effects, taxanes play in increasing role in multimodality treatment concepts of solid tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Since 1989 a total of 85 patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx were recruited to participate in two different prospective clinical trials of preoperative chemoradiation...

PURPOSE: Although complete resection (R0) of liver metastases (LM) remains the treatment of choice for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients amenable to curative therapy, only approximately one third survive for 5 years. The objective of this phase II study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of radioimmunotherapy (RAIT) after salvage resection of LM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients who underwent surgery for LM of CRC received a dose of 40 to 60 mCi/m2 of 131I-labetuzumab, which is a humanized monoclonal antibody against carcinoembryonic antigen...

SUMMARY: A diary and an extensive correspondence of Heinrich Hertz and his family provide a meticulous documentation of his life, made available by Albrecht Folsing in 1997 through a carefully investigated biography, which permit the conclusion that H. Hertz died of Wegener's granulomatosis, 45 years before this disease had been explored. WEGENER'S GRANULOMATOSIS: The symptoms of the granulomatosis, that was first described by Friedrich Wegener in 1936 and 1939 are presented in short with literal quotations of the author: It begins with a refractory cold that will last until the end, then follow involvement of the paranasal sinuses, ears, mucous lining of mouth and pharynx, slight fever, weakness, in the final phase dissemination with nephritis, septic fever, arthritis, myalgia, paralyses leading to total immobility, exitus...

In comparison to tumor patients not receiving radiotherapy, the rehabilitation of masticatory function after head and neck irradiation is limited due to radiation-induced caries, radioxerostomia, and the risk of osteoradionecrosis. This study focused on implants in the irradiated jaw and on the evaluation of the prognosis and the effect of potential factors on the prognosis. The retrospective study covered 197 implants (47 patients) from 1988 to 1997. The implant prognosis was determined by implant survival statistics (Kaplan-Meier)...

Midline granuloma is a mutilating process produced by a number of diseases that progressively destroy the nose, paranasal sinuses, and palate. Infectious, neoplastic, and idiopathic forms of this disease have been described. The specific diagnoses must be ascertained, as the treatment is different depending on the etiology of the disease. Radiation therapy is the treatment of choice for idiopathic midline destructive disease, while cytoxan is appropriate for Wegener's granulomatosis, polymorphic reticulosis, and primary nasal lymphomas...

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a rare multisystem disease of unknown etiology. We describe a woman with WG who relapsed twice during 2 pregnancies with appearance of tracheal stenosis. During the first pregnancy which ended with a delivery of a healthy baby, the subglottic stenosis responded to laser radiation and glucocorticosteroid therapy. An uneventful therapeutic abortion was performed during the 2nd pregnancy. Our case brings to 15 the number of pregnancies which were recorded in 10 women with WG. Diagnosis of WG was done during pregnancy in 4 cases, and at the postpartum period in 3 cases...

The lethal midline granuloma and limited Wegener's granulomatosis show clinical similarity, although they are of different etiology. The following case of a 53-year-old woman shows how difficult it is to establish the precise diagnosis of lethal midline granuloma. The diagnosis depends on the pathological finding of a lymphoma. The lymphoma can be differentiated in a T- or a B-cell lymphoma by immunostaining. However, the diagnostic yield of biopsies from the nose is not perfect. It would be, therefore, important to find other diagnostic criteria...

Respiratory vasculitis is characterized by granulomatous changes pathologically. Both upper and lower respiratory tracts may be involved. It is convenient to separate three entities: (1) Wegener's granulomatosis, (2) allergic granulomatosis and angiitis, or Churg-Strauss syndrome, and (3) polymorphic reticulosis/lymphomatoid granulomatosis complex. Churg-Strauss syndrome responds well to glucocorticoids. Cytotoxic drugs appear necessary for ultimate control of Wegener's granulomatosis. Radiation therapy is effective in controlling polymorphic reticulosis/lymphomatoid granulomatosis when it is localized to one site...

Three distinct diseases of undetermined etiology have been presented: sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, and midline (nonhealing) granuloma, all of which have similar clinical presentations in the midface. The correct diagnosis is essential because the treatment of each disease is different. Sarcoidosis responds best to corticosteroids, Wegener's granulomatosis to cyclophosphamide, and midline granuloma to radiation therapy. The otolaryngologist should be familiar with these diseases, since their important clinical manifestations are most frequently found in the nose, sinuses, and related structures...

The term "lethal mid-line granuloma" does not properly reflect current knowledge that several different diseases can produce non-infectious mid-facial destruction. The disorders producing erosion of the upper aerodigestive passages are more accurately classified by clinical and histological criteria as either Wegener's or non-Wegener's causes. The non-Wegener's causes of mid-facial erosion include extranodal lymphoma, idiopathic mid-line granuloma and polymorphic reticulosis. Polymorphic reticulosis (PR) is a rare disease which is histologically identical to lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LG)...